Only Ontario drivers with clean records will have licence plates automatically renewed

Although many Ontario drivers who have yet to renew their licence plates can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their plates will soon be renewed automatically should the appropriate legislation pass, others might find the process a little less smooth. 

Today (Feb. 13), Premier Doug Ford announced that drivers will soon no longer need to renew their licence plates, as the government is moving to an automatic system.

“We are getting rid of that, totally, registering your vehicle. We did the first step getting rid of the sticker,” Ford told reporters at a press conference in Mississauga. 

“Now we are getting rid of the re-registration; it will be automatically re-registered, so people won’t have to worry about that at all.”

That said, a government spokesperson told insauga.com that the new policy, which will be tabled next week, only applies to drivers with clean records. 

“Licence plates will only renew for those who are in good standing, [meaning] anyone without outstanding fines or tolls. If you have those, there are different steps,” says Dakota Brasier, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation. 

“The full announcement will be made later this week.” 

Brasier told insauga.com that as of January 2024, there are 1,015,139 expired plates in Ontario. Until the new legislation is passed, those drivers could still face a fine if pulled over by police. 

Brasier said it’s up to an officer’s discretion whether or not to issue a ticket.

Although the process surrounding plate renewals is set to change, the rules regarding renewals for drivers with outstanding tickets are not new. 

According to the province’s website, drivers must pay all outstanding fines, penalties, tolls and fees when they renew their licence plate. Fees that must be paid include highway tolls, outstanding vehicle licensing fees, parking fines, red light camera fines, automatic speed enforcement fines and monetary penalties for operating an unlicensed taxi, passing a stopped school bus or passing a stopped streetcar. 

The website also says drivers must pay all tickets associated with moving violations, such as speeding, careless driving, drinking and driving and racing. 

For now, Brasier said drivers should ensure their plates are current.

“We continue to encourage individuals to renew online at Ontario.ca/Renew if their licence plate is expired or cancelled. Also, individuals can sign up for digital reminders to receive their renewal notices by email or text,” she says. 

Drivers can click here to see if they’re in good standing. 

Ford scrapped the $120 annual fee for the renewals in 2022, and since then, law enforcement officials have said that far fewer drivers are remembering to renew each year.

His office says it will be part of a larger bill that also includes a measure that would require any future provincial carbon pricing plan to be put to a referendum.

With files from The Canadian Press